Easel



1;: sraras raranr EASEL.

isaaosa.

Application filed November 20, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARKE STANLEY IIURLBUT, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented Easels, of which the following is a specification.

One object of my invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and conveniently made form of easel particularly adapted for constituting or supporting an advertising card ;the invention being especially designed for the purpose of providing means for supporting in an upright or slightly inclined position a relatively stiif body of sheet r material such as card board, sheet metal or the like having a circular or other outline including a curved lower edge.

It is further desired to provide an easel of the above noted type whose structure shall be such as to permit of its embodiment in or application to stamped cards or plates without appreciable increase in their cost, and which shall be of such a nature as to permit of their being packed or stored in the same manner and space as would similar articles not equipped with said invention said construction being of such a nature as to permit of quick and convenient adjustment of the easel in order that the card of which it forms a part shall be caused to stand in an upright position when placed upon a substantially flat surface.

These objects and other advantageous ends I attain as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an easel constructed in accordance with my invention showing it with its supporting member in the plane of its body portion;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my easel showing the supporting member as acting to support the body; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my easel showing its supporting tongue or brace as extended in its operative position.

In the above drawings 1 represents a plate or sheet of relatively stiff flexible material illustrated as circular in outline and having printed or otherwise displayed upon one face any desired material such as printed Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 192i).

Serial No. 339,342.

matter. This card or plate in accordance with my invention is provided with two cuts 2 extending inwardly from its edge toward its center, preferably though not necessarily along radial lines and of such a length as to define a tongue or segmental member 3 which may be bent rearwardly out of the plane of the body as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 at an acute angle thereto, owing to the relatively flexible nature of the material of which the card is made. When so displaced this member may be caused to serve as a supporting brace or element for the body 1 which then engages the substantially flat surface of the supporting structure i at the two separated points or angular portions 5-5 left by the removal or displacement of the member 3.

The member 3 likewise engages the Hat top of the supporting structure 4: at a single point so that the card as a whole is supported upon three points lying at the apices of a triangle and when thus supported is relatively stable, being with difliculty overturned either forwardly or backwardly and having no tendency to roll on its edge.

If desired a cord or wire loop 6 may be attached to the upper portion of the card 1 to permit of it being suspended when this is desirable.

It will be particularly noted that the forming of the cuts 2-2 necessary to define the supporting member 3 may be performed by suitably constructed dies having the necessary form for also stamping or outlining the body of the card, so that this does not involve any additional expense over that ordinarily necessary or required in making the card. Moreover since the tongue or supporting member originally constitutes part of the body of the card and, until it is bent into its supporting position, lies in the plane of the same, a number of cards or plates made in accordance with my invention may be packed or stacked without requiring or or occupying more space than would ordinarily be necessary in the absence of said invention, where a supporting member pasted or affixed to the plate or card would involve not only additional material but would practically double the thickness of each de vice as a whole, causing difieulties in packing as Well as an increase in cost.

I claim:

An easel consisting of a substantially circular body of sheet material having two radially extending cuts in its lower edge, said cuts providing two separated supporting points for the body and forming a segmental tongue adapted to be displaced from between said points at an angle to the body 10 to provide a third supporting point.

In witness whereof I afiix my signature.

7 CLARKE STANLEY, HUBLBUT. 

